ABSTRACT
Several studies have examined the prognosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder, but long-term studies are few, and most were published several decades ago. Between 1947 and 1953, 5732 patients were admitted as inpatients to the Department of Psychiatry, Sahlgrenska University Hospital. According to a review of medical records, 285 of these patients had obsessive-compulsive disorder. Specific obsessive-compulsive symptoms included obsessive doubt, rumination, perfectionism, impulsion obsessions, obsessive hypochondriasis and phobias, obsessions of suicide and homicide, obsessions of guilt, obsessions of anticipation, magical obsessions, aichmophobic obsessions and compulsions including checking, washing, morbid questioning, and rituals. Effective pharmacological treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder were not introduced until the end of the study period.
